A new practical guide for planning investigator-initiated cancer clinical trials
Clinical trials build the evidence behind best practice cancer care, and they give people with cancer access to new and emerging treatments. Cancer nurses are central to this work, whether as trial coordinators, research nurses or investigators testing their own nurse-led interventions. But getting a trial off the ground can be complex and time-consuming, particularly when navigating regulatory, ethics and governance requirements for the first time.
A new directory from Regional Cancer Research Network NSW aims to make that process easier. It brings together trusted cancer clinical trial resources available in Australia, with a focus on New South Wales. It is designed for clinicians, trial coordinators and researchers planning and conducting investigator-initiated trials, rather than industry-sponsored ones.
The directory follows the real-world trial lifecycle. It covers regulatory, ethics and governance requirements, developing a strong research question, trial design, protocol development, feasibility, budgeting, data management and safety oversight. It also includes consumer engagement, research impact planning and translation. National and NSW-specific guidance, templates, education programs and support services are mapped to each stage, helping teams reduce duplication, strengthen methodological quality and meet standards such as Good Clinical Practice (GCP).
For nurses with a research question they’d like to test, or those supporting trials in their service, the directory is a useful starting point for moving from idea to activation with more clarity and confidence. It complements, rather than replaces, local policies and expert advice.
